Heifer International Business Development Officer Jobs in Kisumu - Kenya
Heifer International Business Development Officer Jobs in Kisumu - Kenya
Business Development and Access to Finance OfficerTracking Code-649-752Job DescriptionHeifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with a disability.
Function
The Business Development and Access to Finance Officer (BDAFO) will play an important role in implementing the project to establish sustainable and resilient agri-hubs and facilitate access to financial resources for investments in the selected three (3) districts in Masvingo Province by ensuring project participants, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Cooperatives, and associations strong participation with beef cattle and goat value chain actors including private sector and relevant government departments.
The BDAFO will lead the efficient agribusiness related planning and implementation at field level. The position will also ensure that the value chain actors involved with the project are using values-based community development and Market-driven approaches.
This position will facilitate participation planning, development, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of farmer-owned agribusinesses and financial mobilization for the SHGs, associations, cooperatives and or agri-enterprises in close collaboration and coordination with project staff and relevant stakeholders.
Essential Character Traits
Team player, Patience, Creative, Self-driven, and good communicator
Responsibilities and Deliverables
Assist exploration, assessment and identification of appropriate financing providers and opportunities and float those opportunities to potential clients (farmers/cooperatives).
Support development and improvement of appropriate financial product and services being offered by identified bank/financial institutions (B/FIs) to targeted SHGs, Producer. Organizations and or agri-enterprises.
Assist identified bank/financial institutions (B/FIs) in identifying potential SHGs and investment opportunities.
Support the Coops and VC Actors to have viable business focus with strong leadership, management and financial systems.
Assist SHGs, Producer Organizations and or agri-enterprises to identify and address gaps in business planning and improve their financial record-keeping and creditworthiness.
Build evidence at field level for advocacy to enhance the access to finance for smallholder farmers.
Identify new opportunities such as mobile banking, mobile money, ICT based solutions, etc. to improve the accessibility of financial services and efficiencies.
Provide support in establishing and operating market structures (e.g., collection centers, market centers, processing facilities, chilling centers, etc.).
Facilitate the transformation of producer organizations (POs) into formal dairy collective enterprises that will stimulate dairy production.
Facilitate and monitor pre-cooperative\producer association orientation activities in the self-help groups (SHGs) and clusters of SHGs as they develop into cooperatives/producer associations and Associations in the AVCD II project.
Assist to develop guidelines for the formation, management and governance of cooperatives/Hubs/Producer groups.
Coordinate and build up linkages and networks with the appropriate government Cooperative Office and other organizations, as required.
Provide ongoing support to member organization with the view to increase production and business capacity.
Provide support in exploring Business and Financial opportunities along the value chain of the selected commodity or commodities.
Support the operationalization and tracking of business and marketing plans for the project ’s producer associations, hubs, and other businesses through joint planning, monitoring, and collaboration with the project team.
Conduct Market analysis and build on the already established value chains studies to continually analyze and refocus interventions based on current market/customer demand.
Develop an appropriate business training package for farmers, producer associations, and hubs in collaboration with the Agribusiness Development Manager.
Put in place a strategy to continually identify potential entrepreneurs and sustainable coaching and capacity building system for farmers.
Set up a database of key business partners.
Business plans for hubs, producer associations and project supported businesses developed within the first year of the project.
Farmers trained in Monitoring and tracking business progress.
A market analysis conducted, and project interventions reviewed on a semi-annual basis to
ensure alignment with current market/customer demand.
Business training package developed for farmers businesses within the first year of the project.
Capacity building strategy in place within 12 months of the project implementation.
Capacity gaps conducted and coaching sessions organized within six months of the project.
Managerial and organizational capacities of farmers, groups, coops, and hubs regularly strengthened.
List of potential partnerships with business organizations, academic institutions, experts, and trainers reviewed quarterly.
Establish a network of business partners with their respective areas of interests, types, frequencies, prices, quantities, and qualities of products demanded.
Support setup of a sound market information/ communication system among the Value Chain actors to communicate demand and supply forces on time.
Inform field level stakeholders of developments within the agricultural sector at district, provincial and national levels to identify any future opportunities and challenges quarterly.
Explore opportunities to develop linkages with other similar projects in the project area.
Identification and establishment of sustainable market linkages coordinated at project onset.
Marketing platforms established within the first year of the project.
Effective partnership with local authorities, district level government departments and private sectors promoted always.
Entrepreneurial approach maintained all along to deliver the project, proposing creative solutions, reducing inhibiting business factors and looking for market-based solutions in coordination with the service providers/stakeholders.
Marketing information communicated to buyers and sellers (retailers) quarterly
Volumes of sales, consumer preferences, quantities, and frequencies tracked and reported quarterly.
Facilitate the development of the business environment awareness and appropriate practices as needed.
Support the establishment and or strengthening of at least one apex body to provide services to the member POs, SHGs.
Business performance and progress reports developed and shared monthly to the Agribusiness Development Manager for submission to the Country office and review with the PO boards.
Participate in project team and appropriate business meetings, to help plan, and deliver on the project objectives.
Participate in learning forums at District and provincial level, and best practices documented and shared.
This will be dependent on the specific duties assigned
Minimum Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, g., marketing, agricultural economics, business, finance, or economics).
Three years of minimum technical experience is required.
Preferred Requirements
Excellent planning, organizational and time management skills, able to work well under pressure both proactively and prioritize a challenging workload.
Willingness and openness to working in the livestock sub-sector.
Ability to influence and engage effectively with the private sector, local authorities and governmental partners.
Ability to transfer private sector product and service delivery strategies to rural clientele.
Excellent skills with Microsoft Office suite, including Excel and Word.
Required Experience
Most Critical Proficiencies
Strong knowledge of small and medium-scale business models and business development.
A good understanding of informal and formal financing models for rural farmers.
A good understanding of the cooperative movement and Savings and Credit Cooperation Organizations (SACCO).
Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands
Include any significant physical, mental and emotional actions that are required for the job. These include traveling; time spent sitting, presenting, working independently, after hours, performing mathematical and statistical computations, etc.
Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online by 14th May 2019
For more information and job application details, see; Heifer International Business Development Officer Jobs in Kisumu - Kenya
Find jobs in Kenya. Jobs - Kenya jobs. Search our career portal & find the latest Kenyan job positions, career opportunities & jobs in Kenya.
Jobs in Kenya - banking jobs, IT jobs, accounting jobs, NGO jobs, business administration, ICT, UN jobs, procurement jobs, education jobs, hospital jobs, human resources jobs, engineering, teaching jobs, and other careers in Kenya.
Find your dream job from 1000s of vacancies in Kenya posted and updated daily - click here!
